the list with links to IMDB 20th Century Women (2016) 25th Hour (2002) A Cat in Paris (2010) A Very Long Engagement (2004) American Splendor (2003) Beyond the Lights (2014) Breakfast on Pluto...
Of the ones I've seen: Master and Commander: A friends favorite and it is really great. Shame we didn't get a series. The Man from UNCLE: Dumb fun. Tinker Tailor Solider Spy: I watched it and I...
Of the ones I've seen:
Master and Commander: A friends favorite and it is really great. Shame we didn't get a series.
The Man from UNCLE: Dumb fun.
Tinker Tailor Solider Spy: I watched it and I couldn't honestly tell you what happened. Felt very slow and confusing and I normally like that stuff.
I think this is everybody's experience on the first watch, unless you've read the novel. Its worth reading the wikipedia breakdown then watching again -- killer film.
Tinker Tailor Solider Spy: I watched it and I couldn't honestly tell you what happened. Felt very slow and confusing and I normally like that stuff.
I think this is everybody's experience on the first watch, unless you've read the novel. Its worth reading the wikipedia breakdown then watching again -- killer film.
Primer comes to mind. If you need to search through external media or texts to understand a movie, or if it requires multiple viewings to understand it.. if it doesn't properly communicate to the...
Primer comes to mind.
If you need to search through external media or texts to understand a movie, or if it requires multiple viewings to understand it.. if it doesn't properly communicate to the viewer what's going on? Then I feel like that movie is just bad. Or at least it's not a movie in the usual sense - more like a weird art experiment or something.
It's been a very long time since I've seen it, but this is how I felt about Donnie Darko. To me that movie was like, "Oh look, here's a series of weird images," which is fine if they're telling a...
It's been a very long time since I've seen it, but this is how I felt about Donnie Darko. To me that movie was like, "Oh look, here's a series of weird images," which is fine if they're telling a coherent story, but in the end Donnie Darko just added up to nothing. Someone once told me that you have to read/watch some companion piece or other to understand it, which completely loses me.
I don't think Primer's that obtuse, I don't remember having more than one or two questions after my first viewing. However I do think it was ahead of its time in a sense - it's much more suited to...
I don't think Primer's that obtuse, I don't remember having more than one or two questions after my first viewing. However I do think it was ahead of its time in a sense - it's much more suited to streaming at home on a laptop, where you can pause to think or rewind easily to catch details. I can imagine seeing it in theaters would have been frustrating, or even on a DVD/Bluray player with relatively imprecise controls. I compare it to Netflix's Dark, which is practically universally loved (at least by those who have seen it) and didn't get the same type of criticism despite being similarly challenging/intricate.
Think I've only seen Fantastic Mr. Fox (which i don't know if I'd count as underrated) and Only Lovers Left Alive (which definitely is). Heard of some of them but I'll have to check more of them out!
Think I've only seen Fantastic Mr. Fox (which i don't know if I'd count as underrated) and Only Lovers Left Alive (which definitely is). Heard of some of them but I'll have to check more of them out!
most of these aren't underappreciated -- at least in film circles. 25th Hour has no business being here either. I'm certain that Fantastic Mr Fox is what broke Wes Anderson, and ever since that...
most of these aren't underappreciated -- at least in film circles. 25th Hour has no business being here either.
I'm certain that Fantastic Mr Fox is what broke Wes Anderson, and ever since that he's been a parody of himself.
Yeah, it was weird going into Isle of Dogs and it felt at times like it were a remake of Mr. Fox. But I also think that Wes Anderson's reputation is probably what breaks him. He makes comedy...
Yeah, it was weird going into Isle of Dogs and it felt at times like it were a remake of Mr. Fox. But I also think that Wes Anderson's reputation is probably what breaks him. He makes comedy movies. They are supposed to be funny. They don't all need to make you think and feel profound things.
Fantastic Mr Fox is such an exceptional work and a beautiful, loving tribute to Dahl's work. They did a lot of the recording on his property; in his barn, field, etc, all to match the scene's...
Fantastic Mr Fox is such an exceptional work and a beautiful, loving tribute to Dahl's work. They did a lot of the recording on his property; in his barn, field, etc, all to match the scene's location. His family also gave him complete access to his writing, which is why they used the original ending for the book. I like his other Dahl work, but FFF just cannot be topped.
In film, I think this is a wide-spread phenomenon --- someone does a work or plays a part that is so absolutely complete that they never get out of it. I think Pacino is stuck in Tony Montana and takes that in to absolutely every role, including Gigli (which doesn't belong on this list, but should be experienced.)
The other thing with Anderson is that he used to have a few big names but often they were somewhat forgotten or in the twilight of their career or they were put in to a role that was so absolutely unexpected for them (Dafoe as Klaus in Life Aquatic) --- but now its basically a Who's Who of Hollywood's finest in what is relatively close to their prime in a lot of cases. Its too much.
If I were the thesis-type, I'd make a video on this... and it would be roughly eight minutes long and would receive about three views.
The thing I hate with lists like these is that it's just the title. Which is not enough to go on. I wish they would give a brief one sentence description of WHY this movie deserves to be on here....
The thing I hate with lists like these is that it's just the title. Which is not enough to go on. I wish they would give a brief one sentence description of WHY this movie deserves to be on here. Is it a gut wrenching story about a family's loss or a unique premise or setting that hasn't been done before. Or an example of the best of its type of genre.
Not everyone is going to like every film and I guarantee any random person you picked wouldn't like every single movie on this list. I would be surprised to find a single person who loved every single one of these films if they watched them all.
There's plenty of films people swear by and I watch and hate it or films that the majority hate but I love. People have different opinions and titles aren't enough to tell if it's something worth looking into for your personal tastes.
I don't just mean the description of the movie. I meant the reason why someone is saying this movie is worth watching. What makes this movie worthy of being on this list and worth people giving it...
I don't just mean the description of the movie. I meant the reason why someone is saying this movie is worth watching. What makes this movie worthy of being on this list and worth people giving it a shot. Sometimes the hook in the description might be enough, but usually it isn't.
I'm not sure if you saw this or are looking at the IMDB links posted in the comments but each movie has commentary written by the film critic at Time in the article!
I'm not sure if you saw this or are looking at the IMDB links posted in the comments but each movie has commentary written by the film critic at Time in the article!
That's great, but this certainly doesn't explain why Drumline is on the list of the top 50 underrated films.
That's great, but this certainly doesn't explain why Drumline is on the list of the top 50 underrated films.
Devon Miles, played by Nick Cannon, is a cocky New York kid and ace drummer who’s landed a scholarship at a fictional historically Black college. He thinks he’s going to move right in and become the star of the school’s renowned and extremely selective marching band. Not so fast: before long, Devon has run afoul of the band’s strict, principled director, Dr. Lee (Orlando Jones), first by wilfully disrespecting Sean (Leonard Roberts), the band’s percussion leader, and then by starting a fight on the field with a visiting band. He has also lied about knowing how to read music, a band requirement. The plot of 2002’s Drumline, directed by Charles Stone III, is straightforward and not especially original, particularly if you’ve seen even a single movie involving military training. (These marching-band kids sure have to do a lot of push-ups.) But to fixate on the plot is to miss the point. Drumline is great fun, not least because the marching-band sequences are so beautifully, expertly choreographed. And while we’ve all seen the classic story of the overconfident kid who needs a lesson in humility, energy and spirit count for more than mere storytelling. Drumline has style and sass to burn.
yeah, I'm with you. These lazy fucks just slap together a list and that's it -- absolute puff piece without some sort of justification; at least in my book. for you... 20th Century Women (2016):...
yeah, I'm with you. These lazy fucks just slap together a list and that's it -- absolute puff piece without some sort of justification; at least in my book.
for you...
20th Century Women (2016): Love, life, and the struggles of a mother bringing up a son in the late 70's. The ignorance of a free spirit against the needs of a young man trying to find his true character and beliefs. Living in a bohemian household shared with three like minded spirited people to help pay the rent, his mother tries to establish bonds that he cannot deal with. She cannot deal with his inability to talk, and enlists the help of other females in his life to share the burden of his upbringing. Slowly life unravels for them all without understanding how. In spite of their perceived struggles, they all go on to live defined lives without any serious consequences.
25th Hour (2002): The 25th Hour depicts the last day of freedom for a young man before he begins serving a seven-year jail term for drug dealing. Prowling through the city until dawn with his two close male friends and his girlfriend, he is forced to re-examine his life and how he got himself into his predicament, which leads to a shocking, disturbing finale.
A Cat in Paris (2010): Dino is a cat that leads a double life. By day, he lives with Zoe, a little girl whose mother, Jeanne, is a police officer. By night, he works with Nico, a burglar with a big heart. Zoe has plunged herself into silence following her father's murder at the hands of gangster Costa. One day, Dino the cat brings Zoe a very valuable bracelet. Lucas, Jeanne's second-in-command, notices this bracelet is part of a jewelery collection that has been stolen. One night, Zoe decides to follow Dino. On the way, she overhears some gangsters and discovers that her nanny is part of the gangsters' team.
A Very Long Engagement (2004): Five desperate French soldiers during The Battle of the Somme shoot themselves, either by accident or with purpose, in order to be invalided back home. Having been "caught" a court-martial convenes and determines punishment to be banishment to No Man's Land with the objective of having the Germans finish them off. In the process of telling this tale each man's life is briefly explored along with their next of kin as Methilde, fiancée to one of the men, tries to determine the circumstances of her lover's death. This task is not made any easier for her due to a bout with polio as a child. Along the way she discovers the heights and depths of the human soul.
American Splendor (2003): Harvey Pekar is file clerk at the local VA hospital. His interactions with his co-workers offer some relief from the monotony, and their discussions encompass everything from music to the decline of American culture to new flavors of jellybeans and life itself. At home, Harvey fills his days with reading, writing and listening to jazz. His apartment is filled with thousands of books and LPs, and he regularly scours Cleveland's thrift stores and garage sales for more, savoring the rare joy of a 25-cent find. It is at one of these junk sales that Harvey meets Robert Crumb, a greeting card artist and music enthusiast. When, years later, Crumb finds international success for his underground comics, the idea that comic books can be a valid art form for adults inspires Harvey to write his own brand of comic book. An admirer of naturalist writers like Theodore Dreiser, Harvey makes his American Splendor a truthful, unsentimental record of his working-class life, a warts-and-all self portrait. First published in 1976, the comic earns Harvey cult fame throughout the 1980s and eventually leads him to the sardonic Joyce Barber, a partner in a Delaware comic book store who end ups being Harvey's true soul mate as they experience the bizarre byproducts of Harvey's cult celebrity stature.
Beyond the Lights (2014): Romance ignites between a troubled young singer on the cusp of stardom, and a handsome young cop with political ambitions in this drama about the power of walking your own path. Noni Jean (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is a talented singer whose ethereal voice has taken the world of music by storm. A glimpse beneath the surface, however, reveals a girl who's cracking under the pressure to top the charts. When Noni tries to end it all, concerned cop Kaz Nicol (Nate Parker) pulls her back from the ledge, and shows her that life is still worth living. Along the way, Noni and Kaz fall head over heels in love. Meanwhile, the powers that be conspire to keep them apart as well as focused on their respective careers. But without Kaz's love, Noni may never find her true voice..
Breakfast on Pluto (2005): A young transwoman, Patrick "Kitten" Braden, comes of age in the 1970s. She leaves her Irish town, in part to look for her mother and in part because her transgender nature is beyond the town's understanding. She's taken in by a rock band, falls for the lead singer, has brushes with the IRA, is arrested by the London police, works in a peep show, and poses as a survey researcher for the phone company. Throughout, her nationality and her nature put her at great risk. In her search for her mother, she makes surprising discoveries of friendship and family. But, will she survive?
Bright Star (2009): It's 1818 in Hampstead Village on the outskirts of London. Poet Charles Brown lives in one half of a house, the Dilkes family the other. Through association with the Dilkes, the fatherless Brawne family knows Mr. Brown. Mr. Brown and the Brawne's eldest daughter, Fanny, don't like each other. She thinks him arrogant and rude; he feels that she's a pretentious flirt, knowing only how to sew (admittedly well as she makes all her own fashionable clothes), and voicing opinions on subjects about which she knows nothing. Insecure struggling poet John Keats comes to live with his friend, Mr. Brown. Miss Brawne and Mr. Keats have a mutual attraction to each other, but their relationship is slow to develop, in part, since Mr. Brown does whatever he can to keep the two apart. Other obstacles face the couple, including their eventual overwhelming passion for each other clouding their view of what the other does, Mr. Keats' struggling career, which offers him little in the way of monetary security (which will lead to Mrs. Brawne not giving consent for them to marry), and health issues which had earlier taken the life of Mr. Keats' brother, Tom.
Control (2007): Ian Curtis is a quiet and rather sad lad who works for an employment agency and sings in a band called Warsaw. He meets a girl named Debbie whom he promptly marries and his band, of which the name in the meantime has been changed to Joy Division, gets more and more successful. Even though Debbie and he become parents, their relationship is going downhill rapidly and Ian starts an affair with Belgium Annik whom he met after one of the gigs and he's almost never at home. Ian also suffers from epilepsy and has no-good medication for it. He doesn't know how to handle the feelings he has for Debbie and Annik and the pressure the popularity of Joy Division and the energy performing costs him.
CQ (2001): In 1969 Paris, the filming of a sci-fi movie set in the distant year 2001 is in trouble. The director's obsession with the actress who plays the sexy secret agent Dragonfly has clouded his judgment and the film has no ending. A young American, in Paris to document his life on film with total honesty, is brought in to finish the movie with a bang. This proves to be difficult when the line between his fantasy life and reality becomes blurred, and he finds himself seduced by Dragonfly's charms.
Dark Skies (2013): The Barrett family-mother Lacy, father Daniel, older son Jesse, and younger son Sammy-reside on a quiet suburban street in an unnamed American city. Daniel is currently unemployed, placing the burden of supporting the family on Lacy, who works as a real estate agent. Their two sons enjoy a happy relationship and communicate with each other from their beds via walk-talkie. A number of strange occurrences befall the family. During the night, the contents of the kitchen are rearranged in bizarre configurations. The house alarm is set off when it detects that all entry points were breached simultaneously. Sammy suffers a fit while playing soccer and Lacy is shocked when hundreds of birds suddenly crash into the house. One night, Lacy is awakened by a sound from Sammy's room. When she goes to check on him, through the darkness she sees a figure standing over his bed. She turns on the light to find an empty room. Sammy is found walking away from the house but cannot remember leaving. Lacy, Daniel and Jesse each suffer catatonic episodes and regain consciousness with no memory of their experiences.
Dolemite Is My Name (2019): Eddie Murphy portrays real-life legend Rudy Ray Moore, a comedy and rap pioneer who proved naysayers wrong when his hilarious, obscene, kung-fu fighting alter ego, Dolemite, became a 1970s Blaxploitation phenomenon.
Dreamin' Wild (2022): Musical duo Donnie and Joe Emerson spend everything they have to produce a record in the 1970s.
Drumline (2002): A fish-out-of-water comedy about a talented street drummer from Harlem who enrolls in a Southern university, expecting to lead its marching band's drumline to victory. He initially flounders in his new world, before realizing that it takes more than talent to reach the top.
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009): This is the story of Mr. Fox (George Clooney) and his wild ways of hen heckling, turkey taking, and cider sipping, nocturnal, instinctive adventures. He has to put his wild days behind him and do what fathers do best: be responsible. He is too rebellious. He is too wild. He is going to try "just one more raid" on the three nastiest, meanest farmers that are Walter Boggis (Robin Hurlstone), Nathan Bunce (Hugo Guinness), and Franklin Bean (Sir Michael Gambon). It is a tale of crossing the line of family responsibilities and midnight adventure and the friendships and awakenings of this country life that is inhabited by Fantastic Mr. Fox and his friends.
Femme Fatale (2002): A woman tries to straighten out her life, even as her past as a con-woman comes back to haunt her.
Ghost Town (2008): Bertram Pincus is a man whose people skills leave much to be desired. When Pincus dies unexpectedly, but is miraculously revived after seven minutes, he wakes up to discover that he now has the annoying ability to see ghosts. Even worse, they all want something from him, particularly Frank Herlihy who pesters him into breaking up the impending marriage of his widow Gwen. That puts Pincus squarely in the middle of a triangle with spirited result.
Good Morning, Night (2003): The movie is based on a true story. On 16 March 1978 Aldo Moro, the former Italian Prime Minister was kidnapped in Via Fani by the Brigate Rosse (Red Brigades), a militant Communist Italian group. He was the main supporter of the Compromesso Storico (Hystorical Compromise), which had to lead to the first Italian government supported by both the Christian Democrats and the Communists, in a period of social, economic and political crises. During the attack his five escort agents were all killed. Moro's corpse was found on 9 May 1978 in a car parked in a street between the headquarters of the Christian Democrat Party and the Communist Party. This movie is inspired by this tragic event which traumatize the whole nation. It focuses mainly on the relationship between the prisoner and his guards through the eyes of Chiara, the young woman whose role is to guard the prisoner. The movie portraits Chiara's life (her job as a librarian, the ordinary household) on one side and the political process which is held against Moro by her friends on the other, while they are waiting for a revolution to come. She is drawn between these two aspects and she begins to doubt her political commitment (she cries when she listens to Moro's letter to the Pope). The news tell the people what is going on in Italy (some politicians ask for the death penalty for the kidnappers, the Pope Paul VI appeals to the terrorist for Moro's release). The State will not bend by accepting the conditions established by the terrorists to release the prisoner. The Brigate Rosse sentence Moro to death and the story comes to its tragic end, although the eyes and the heart of the imagination show Aldo Moro walking happy and free in Rome.
Hamlet (2000): New York, 2000. A specter in the guise of the newly-dead CEO of Denmark Corporation appears to Hamlet, tells of murder most foul, demands revenge, and identifies the killer as Claudius, the new head of Denmark, Hamlet's uncle and now step-father. Hamlet must determine if the ghost is truly his father, and if Claudius did the deed. To buy time, Hamlet feigns madness; to catch his uncle's conscience, he invites him to watch a film he's made that shows a tale of murder. Finally convinced of Claudius's guilt, Hamlet must avenge his father. Claudius now knows Hamlet is a threat and even uses Ophelia, Hamlet's love, in his own plots against the young man. Murder will out?
Head-On (2004): With the intention to break free from the strict familial restrictions, a suicidal young woman sets up a marriage of convenience with a forty-year-old addict, an act that will lead to an outburst of envious love.
I Could Never Be Your Woman (2007): Rosie (Michelle Pfeiffer), a 40-year-old divorced mother produces the has-been television comedy "You Go Girl," which seems doomed since her boss no longer allows the show to tackle any vaguely-controversial subjects. Then she meets Adam (Paul Rudd) , an attractive, spontaneously funny, single, 29-year-old actor at an audition. She successfully casts him, which revives the show's ratings. She also dates him, but her pathological insecurity, focused on their age difference, compromises the relationship. That culminates when she suspects him of infidelity with the show's star, and the studio gives those two their own sitcom.
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (2003): Will Graham is a gangster who has left the life of crime and is living in the countryside. He comes out of hiding to investigate the death of his brother when he learns that he committed suicide. Charlotte Rampling is his old girlfriend who owns a restaurant. Boad is the villain responsible for the bad things that happened to Will's brother.
Idlewild (2006): A musical set in the Prohibition-era American South, where a speakeasy performer and club manager Rooster must contend with gangsters who have their eyes on the club while his piano player and partner Percival must choose between his love, Angel or his obligations to his father.
Jane Eyre (2011): After a bleak childhood, Jane Eyre (Mia Wasikowska) goes out into the world to become a governess. As she lives happily in her new position at Thornfield Hall, she meets the dark, cold, and abrupt master of the house, Mr. Edward Rochester (Michael Fassbender). Jane and her employer grow close in friendship and she soon finds herself falling in love with him. Happiness seems to have found Jane at last, but could Mr. Rochester's terrible secret be about to destroy it forever?
Masked and Anonymous (2003): Against the backdrop of a nation on the brink of revolution, Uncle Sweetheart and Nina Veronica are slimy promoters planning a benefit concert. They desire the services of legendary singer Jack Fate, and soon Fate is sprung from jail. A rock journalist investigates the concert, attempting to determine just who will benefit. Revolution may be raging outside the arena, but Jack Fate and the benefit concert play on as planned.
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003): In April 1805 during the Napoleonic Wars, H.M.S. Surprise, a British frigate, is under the command of Captain Jack Aubrey. Aubrey and the Surprise's current orders are to track and capture or destroy a French privateer named Acheron. The Acheron is currently in the Atlantic off South America headed toward the Pacific in order to extend Napoleon's reach of the wars. This task will be a difficult one as Aubrey quickly learns in an initial battle with the Acheron that it is a bigger and faster ship than the Surprise, which puts the Surprise at a disadvantage. Aubrey's single-mindedness in this seemingly impossible pursuit puts him at odds with the Surprise's doctor and naturalist, Stephen Maturin, who is also Aubrey's most trusted advisor on board and closest friend. Facing other internal obstacles which have resulted in what they consider a string of bad luck, Aubrey ultimately uses Maturin's scientific exploits to figure out a way to achieve his and the ship's seemingly impossible goal.
Miss Juneteenth (2020): A former beauty queen and single mom prepares her rebellious teenage daughter for the "Miss Juneteenth" pageant.
Monkeybone (2001): In a coma, Stu Miley a cartoonist who created a comic strip called Monkeybone which features a rascal monkey. He finds himself trapped within his own underground creation and must find a way to get back, while racing against his popular but treacherous character, Monkeybone. Naturally, Monkeybone himself is there, and he and Stu quickly start fighting like cats and dogs. When Stu realizes that his sister, due to a pact they once made, is preparing to pull the plug on him, Stu makes a deal with Hypnos, the god of sleep, to help him steal a golden ticket from Death himself. But when Monkeybone takes over Stu's body and escapes to wreak havoc on the real world, Stu has to find a way to stop him before his sister pulls the plug on reality forever!
Mudbound (2017): In the aftermath of WWII, somewhere in the muddy Mississippi Delta, two families--one black, the Jacksons, and the other white, the McAllans--are forced to share the same patch of land, keeping a frail race-based peace with each other. However, as they both struggle with hardship and dire poverty, the long-awaited return of two war veterans--Ronsel, the Jacksons' eldest son, and Jamie, Henry McAllan's younger brother--will unexpectedly nurture a budding friendship that transcends prejudice and race. But, in the end, against a backdrop of fevered Mississippi sunsets and vitriolic racism, life can be hard when the law of the land is still segregation and hatred. And then, no one can be safe.
Mustang (2015): Early summer. In a village in northern Turkey, Lale and her four sisters are walking home from school, playing innocently with some boys. The immorality of their play sets off a scandal that has unexpected consequences. The family home is progressively transformed into a prison; instruction in homemaking replaces school and marriages start being arranged. The five sisters who share a common passion for freedom, find ways of getting around the constraints imposed on them.
Only Lovers Left Alive (2013): Set against the romantic desolation of Detroit and Tangiers, an underground musician, deeply depressed by the direction of human activities, reunites with his resilient and enigmatic lover. Their love story has already endured several centuries at least, but their debauched idyll is soon disrupted by her wild and uncontrollable younger sister. Can these wise but fragile outsiders continue to survive as the modern world collapses around them?
Passing (2021): Mixed-race childhood friends reunite in middle class adulthood and become increasingly involved in each other's lives and insecurities. While Irene identifies as African-American and is married to a Black doctor, Clare "passes" as white and has married a prejudiced, wealthy white man.
Peterloo (2018): An epic portrayal of the events surrounding the infamous 1819 Peterloo Massacre, where a peaceful pro-democracy rally at St Peter's Field in Manchester turned into one of the bloodiest and most notorious episodes in British history. The massacre saw British government forces charge into a crowd of over 60,000 that had gathered to demand political reform and protest against rising levels of poverty. Many protesters were killed and hundreds more injured, sparking a nationwide outcry but also further government suppression. The Peterloo Massacre was a defining moment in British democracy which also played a significant role in the founding of The Guardian newspaper.
Phoenix (2014): In the aftermath of WWII, Nelly, a Jewish survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp, horribly disfigured from a bullet wound in her face, undergoes a series of facial reconstruction surgeries and decides to find her husband Johnny who works at the Phoenix club in Berlin. Undoubtedly, Nelly is stunning, yet, her new self is beyond recognition, so Johnny, the man who may have betrayed her to the Nazis, will never imagine that the woman in front of him who bears an uncomfortable and unsettling resemblance to his late wife, is indeed her. Without delay, and with the intention to collect the deceased's inheritance, Nelly will go along with Johnny's plot and she will impersonate the dead woman, giving the performance of a lifetime before friends and relatives in a complex game of deceit, duplicity, and ultimately, seduction. In the end, during this masquerade, as the fragile and broken Nelly tries to find out whether Johnny betrayed her or not, she will have to dig deep into her wounded psyche and inevitably choose between revenge and forgiveness.
Shortbus (2006): Numerous New York City dwellers come to the exclusive club Shortbus to work out problems in their sexual relationships. Rob and Sophia are a happily married couple, except for the fact that she has never experienced sexual climax. This irony follows her to work because she is a couples counselor who frequently has to deal with the sexual issues other couples have. Two of her patients are Jamie and James, a gay couple who have been monogamous for five years and counting. James wants to bring other men in to the relationship, and his own history with depression may hint at an ulterior motive. Ceth (pronounced Seth) may be the perfect addition to their family, but Caleb, a voyeur from across the street, may have his own ideas about that. Sophia visits Severin, a dominatrix with secrets of her own to reveal.
Somewhere (2010): Hollywood actor Johnny Marco, nested in his luxury hotel of choice, is a stimulated man. Drinking, parties and women keep a creeping boredom under wraps in between jobs. He is the occasional father of a bright girl, Cleo, who may be spoiled but doesn't act it. When Cleo's mother drops her off and leaves town, Johnny brings her along for the ride, but can he fit an 11-year-old girl into his privileged lifestyle?
Talk to Me (2007): The true life story of Ralph Waldo "Petey" Greene Jr. In the mid-to-late 1960s, in Washington, D.C., vibrant soul music and exploding social consciousness were combining to unique and powerful effect. It was the place and time for Petey to fully express himself - sometimes to outrageous effect - and "tell it like it is." With the support of his irrepressible and tempestuous girlfriend Vernell, the newly minted ex-con talks his way into an on-air radio gig. He forges a friendship and a partnership with fellow prison inmate Milo's brother Dewey Hughes. From the first wild morning on the air, Petey relies on the more straight-laced Dewey to run interference at WOL-AM, where Dewey is the program director. At the station, Petey becomes an iconic radio personality, surpassing even the established popularity of his fellow disc jockeys, Nighthawk and Sunny Jim. Combining biting humor with social commentary, Petey openly courts controversy for station owner E.G. Sonderling. Petey was determined to make not just himself but his community heard during an exciting and turbulent period in American history. As Petey's voice, humor, and spirit surge across the airwaves with the vitality of the era, listeners tune in to hear not only incredible music but also a man speaking directly to them about race and power in America like few people ever have. Through the years, Petey's "The truth just is" style --- on - and off-air - would redefine both Petey and Dewey, and empower each to become the man he would most like to be.
The Beat That My Heart Skipped (2005): Will Thomas still lead a life of crime and cruelty, just like his thuggish father, or will he pursue his dream of becoming a pianist?
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007): Forty-three year old Elle magazine editor Jean-Dominique Bauby - Jean-Do to his friends - awakens not knowing where he is. He is in a Berck-sur-Mer hospital, where he has been for the past several weeks in a coma after suffering a massive stroke. Although his cognitive facilities are intact, he quickly learns that he has what is called locked-in syndrome which has resulted in him being almost completely paralyzed, including not being able to speak. One of his few functioning muscles is his left eye. His physical situation and hospitalization uncomfortably bring together the many people in his life, including: Céline Desmoulins, his ex-lover and mother of his children; Inès, his current lover; and his aged father who he calls Papinou. Among his compassionate recuperative team are his physical therapist Marie, and his speech therapist Henriette. Henriette eventually teaches him to communicate using a system where he spells out words: she reads out the letters of the alphabet in descending order of their use in the French language, and he blinks his functioning left eye when she reaches the appropriate letter. Although frustrating at start, he learns to communicate effectively but slowly using this method, so much so that with the help of Claude, a full time translator, he decides on the monumental and seemingly impossible task to keep to his pre-injury commitment of writing a book, changing its focus to life in his current state.
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2021): The true story of eccentric British artist Louis Wain (Benedict Cumberbatch), whose playful, psychedelic pictures transformed the public's perception of cats forever. Set in the early 1900s, we follow Wain as he seeks to unlock the "electrical" mysteries of the world and, in so doing, to better understand his own life and the profound love he shared with his wife Emily Richardson (Claire Foy).
The Magic Flute (2006): During World War I, in an unnamed country, a soldier named Tamino is sent by the Queen of the Night to rescue her daughter Pamina from the clutches of the supposedly evil Sarastro. But all is not as it seems.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015): In the 1960s with the Cold War in play, CIA agent Napoleon Solo successfully helps Gaby Teller defect to West Germany despite the intimidating opposition of KGB agent Illya Kuryakin. Later, all three unexpectedly find themselves working together in a joint mission to stop a private criminal organization from using Gaby's father's scientific expertise to construct their own nuclear bomb. Through clenched teeth and stylish poise, all three must find a way to cooperate for the sake of world peace, even as they each pursue their own agendas.
The Painted Veil (2006): This love story has Kitty (Naomi Watts) meeting young, intelligent, shy and somewhat dull Dr. Walter Fane (Edward Norton), whose forte is the study of infectious diseases, and the convenient marriage to which she finds herself committed. It is in this web of intrigue that they head for China, only after Walter discovers Kitty's infidelity with the dashing and witty diplomat Charlie Townsend (Liev Schreiber). So much as to hide her from herself and to help thwart a cholera outbreak, this is a marriage more than on the rocks. This is a cold, indifferent, and loveless partnership in a vast unknown and deadly environment that will test both of these flightless lovebirds and with the hardships and tolerances more than any had ever anticipated. A visual delight amidst the pain and suffering of dying people and failing marriage. Will a cure be found for both, before it's too late?
The Shallows (2016): In the taut thriller The Shallows, when Nancy (Blake Lively) is surfing on a secluded beach, she finds herself on the feeding ground of a great white shark. Though she is stranded only 200 yards from shore, survival proves to be the ultimate test of wills, requiring all of Nancy's ingenuity, resourcefulness, and fortitude.
The Skeleton Key (2005): Nurse Caroline Ellis quits her job to take care of elderly Ben Devereux who had a stroke and can't talk. When she gets to his house in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, she meets Ben's wife Violet, who acts suspicious and creepy. The family's lawyer, Luke Marshall, convinces Caroline to stay. She goes to the attic and finds a secret room there full of spells, hair, and bones used to practice Hoodoo, but Violet says she has never seen this secret room. Caroline wants to help Ben, thinking that Violet has put a spell on him. She knows Hoodoo can't hurt someone who doesn't believe in it. Can Caroline save Ben, or will she end up being the one who needs to be saved?
The Taste of Things (2023): The story of Eugenie, an esteemed cook, and Dodin - the fine gourmet chef she has been working for over the last 20 years.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011): In the early 1970s during the Cold War, the head of British Intelligence, Control (Sir John Hurt), resigns after an operation in Budapest, Hungary goes badly wrong. It transpires that Control believed one of four senior figures in the service was in fact a Russian Agent, a mole, and the Hungary operation was an attempt to identify which of them it was. George Smiley (Gary Oldman) had been forced into retirement by the departure of Control, but is asked by a senior government figure to investigate a story told to him by rogue Agent Ricky Tarr (Tom Hardy), that there was a mole. Smiley considers that the failure of the Hungary operation and the continuing success of Operation Witchcraft (an apparent source of significant Soviet Intelligence) confirms this, and takes up the task of finding him.
Top Five (2014): New York Times reporter Chelsea Brown is spending a day interviewing comedian and recovering alcoholic Andre Allen, star of the hit film franchise Hammy The Bear, about a cop in a bear suit. Chelsea has forgotten her audio recorder, so they first go to her apartment. While there they discuss a magazine article about the Cinderella complex. Chelsea explains that Cinderella left something behind to let the prince know that she wanted to see him again..
Wolfwalkers (2020): In a time of superstition and magic, when wolves are seen as demonic and nature an evil to be tamed, a young apprentice hunter, ROBYN, comes to Ireland with her father to wipe out the last pack. But when Robyn saves a wild native girl, MEBH, their friendship leads her to discover the world of the WOLFWALKERS.
Wuthering Heights (2011): A poor boy of unknown origins is rescued from poverty and taken in by the Earnshaw family where he develops an intense relationship with his young foster sister, Cathy.
Dark Skies is the one where I’m like, damn. I remember the advertising of that film but it was received as a generic January horror film. What a pull. Pretty interesting list. Missing The Lone...
Dark Skies is the one where I’m like, damn. I remember the advertising of that film but it was received as a generic January horror film. What a pull. Pretty interesting list.
haha I think I was confusing it with Zorro. We don't see a lot of fun action movies anymore. The ones I can think of are all suffocating under the foot of 'spectacle'
haha I think I was confusing it with Zorro. We don't see a lot of fun action movies anymore. The ones I can think of are all suffocating under the foot of 'spectacle'
yuck. terrible films. I'm glad they're profitable, but the old assemble, define, fight, fake-win, tension/conflict, second fight, victory/reconciliation structure is to boring.
yuck. terrible films. I'm glad they're profitable, but the old assemble, define, fight, fake-win, tension/conflict, second fight, victory/reconciliation structure is to boring.
*Too boring for critical thinking adults. Kids love it. Popcorn watchers love. It's probably not lost on anyone here, but there's a reason why the Fast and the Furious, Mission Impossible and all...
*Too boring for critical thinking adults.
Kids love it. Popcorn watchers love. It's probably not lost on anyone here, but there's a reason why the Fast and the Furious, Mission Impossible and all the rest keep cranking out sequels. Superhero movies are the same.
I mean, I keep seeing them lol. Show me my favorite childhood comic book story with all of the soup and nuts, please.
Control and Only Lovers Left Alive were good (as I remember, I want to rewatch Only Lovers Left Alive). Wolfwalkers was nice but no as good as the studio other movies imo. Wuthering Heights was...
Control and Only Lovers Left Alive were good (as I remember, I want to rewatch Only Lovers Left Alive). Wolfwalkers was nice but no as good as the studio other movies imo. Wuthering Heights was ok, but I didn't like it covers only part of the story.
I'm surprised to see Shortbus on this list. Frankly it's one of those movies that I'm always surprised to see other people remembering it, not because it isn't memorable, but because it was such a...
I'm surprised to see Shortbus on this list. Frankly it's one of those movies that I'm always surprised to see other people remembering it, not because it isn't memorable, but because it was such a strange niche film. The only reason I got to see it was because it came out at the peak of my piracy days - though I did purchase a physical version later.
It's interesting that the author describes it as feeling like a relic of a lost time, because I don't think it was ever truly a product of its time either. It was a product that came up naturally amongst people who were largely part of the Radical Faeries - gay hippies, essentially - and was therefore always outside of the norms of society. But I think that's something that makes it timeless. It may be a product of the time it was made, but it remains one of the most earnest and open explorations on what we need from our relationships ever to be put to film. And it has one of the best soundtracks to boot!
It's also really strange that Monkeybone is on this list. That movie was really terrible and was a rather famous flop for decades. Also, why put hamlet on the list and not it's sequel?
Obligatory comment about my favourite movie missing from the list. Short Term 12 by Destin Daniel Cretton, starring Brie Larson as a young woman struggling with personal issues, working at a...
Obligatory comment about my favourite movie missing from the list.
Short Term 12 by Destin Daniel Cretton, starring Brie Larson as a young woman struggling with personal issues, working at a psychiatric facility for teens and forming a bond with one of them, played by Kaitlyn Dever. Also starring Stephanie Beatriz, Rami Malek, Lakeith Stanfield, John Gallagher.
Probably both at the same time, leaning towards destroying you, then staying on your mind for days after. Knowing you.. brace yourself and watch carefully. I also don't want to exaggerate though...
Probably both at the same time, leaning towards destroying you, then staying on your mind for days after.
Knowing you.. brace yourself and watch carefully. I also don't want to exaggerate though it was very impactful for myself in any case.
the list with links to IMDB
Of the ones I've seen:
Master and Commander: A friends favorite and it is really great. Shame we didn't get a series.
The Man from UNCLE: Dumb fun.
Tinker Tailor Solider Spy: I watched it and I couldn't honestly tell you what happened. Felt very slow and confusing and I normally like that stuff.
I think this is everybody's experience on the first watch, unless you've read the novel. Its worth reading the wikipedia breakdown then watching again -- killer film.
What sort of film requires reading a wikipedia page first to comprehend it? Honestly.
Primer comes to mind.
If you need to search through external media or texts to understand a movie, or if it requires multiple viewings to understand it.. if it doesn't properly communicate to the viewer what's going on? Then I feel like that movie is just bad. Or at least it's not a movie in the usual sense - more like a weird art experiment or something.
It's been a very long time since I've seen it, but this is how I felt about Donnie Darko. To me that movie was like, "Oh look, here's a series of weird images," which is fine if they're telling a coherent story, but in the end Donnie Darko just added up to nothing. Someone once told me that you have to read/watch some companion piece or other to understand it, which completely loses me.
Primer sure is popular. It made me angry, felt less like entertainment than an exercise in confusion.
I don't think Primer's that obtuse, I don't remember having more than one or two questions after my first viewing. However I do think it was ahead of its time in a sense - it's much more suited to streaming at home on a laptop, where you can pause to think or rewind easily to catch details. I can imagine seeing it in theaters would have been frustrating, or even on a DVD/Bluray player with relatively imprecise controls. I compare it to Netflix's Dark, which is practically universally loved (at least by those who have seen it) and didn't get the same type of criticism despite being similarly challenging/intricate.
haha some le Carre stuff has a lot of stuff going on. This is one of my favorite movies.
Think I've only seen Fantastic Mr. Fox (which i don't know if I'd count as underrated) and Only Lovers Left Alive (which definitely is). Heard of some of them but I'll have to check more of them out!
most of these aren't underappreciated -- at least in film circles. 25th Hour has no business being here either.
I'm certain that Fantastic Mr Fox is what broke Wes Anderson, and ever since that he's been a parody of himself.
Yeah, it was weird going into Isle of Dogs and it felt at times like it were a remake of Mr. Fox. But I also think that Wes Anderson's reputation is probably what breaks him. He makes comedy movies. They are supposed to be funny. They don't all need to make you think and feel profound things.
Fantastic Mr Fox is such an exceptional work and a beautiful, loving tribute to Dahl's work. They did a lot of the recording on his property; in his barn, field, etc, all to match the scene's location. His family also gave him complete access to his writing, which is why they used the original ending for the book. I like his other Dahl work, but FFF just cannot be topped.
In film, I think this is a wide-spread phenomenon --- someone does a work or plays a part that is so absolutely complete that they never get out of it. I think Pacino is stuck in Tony Montana and takes that in to absolutely every role, including Gigli (which doesn't belong on this list, but should be experienced.)
The other thing with Anderson is that he used to have a few big names but often they were somewhat forgotten or in the twilight of their career or they were put in to a role that was so absolutely unexpected for them (Dafoe as Klaus in Life Aquatic) --- but now its basically a Who's Who of Hollywood's finest in what is relatively close to their prime in a lot of cases. Its too much.
If I were the thesis-type, I'd make a video on this... and it would be roughly eight minutes long and would receive about three views.
The thing I hate with lists like these is that it's just the title. Which is not enough to go on. I wish they would give a brief one sentence description of WHY this movie deserves to be on here. Is it a gut wrenching story about a family's loss or a unique premise or setting that hasn't been done before. Or an example of the best of its type of genre.
Not everyone is going to like every film and I guarantee any random person you picked wouldn't like every single movie on this list. I would be surprised to find a single person who loved every single one of these films if they watched them all.
There's plenty of films people swear by and I watch and hate it or films that the majority hate but I love. People have different opinions and titles aren't enough to tell if it's something worth looking into for your personal tastes.
You can click on any of them to read the writeup!
I don't just mean the description of the movie. I meant the reason why someone is saying this movie is worth watching. What makes this movie worthy of being on this list and worth people giving it a shot. Sometimes the hook in the description might be enough, but usually it isn't.
I'm not sure if you saw this or are looking at the IMDB links posted in the comments but each movie has commentary written by the film critic at Time in the article!
That's great, but this certainly doesn't explain why Drumline is on the list of the top 50 underrated films.
I'm sitting over here wondering what the hell I missed for Drumline to be included.
yeah, I'm with you. These lazy fucks just slap together a list and that's it -- absolute puff piece without some sort of justification; at least in my book.
for you...
Dark Skies is the one where I’m like, damn. I remember the advertising of that film but it was received as a generic January horror film. What a pull. Pretty interesting list.
Missing The Lone Ranger (2013)
I might be wrong, but is Lone Ranger the last of that sort of fun movie?! There must be others, but I just can't think of one
What do you mean by fun movie?
haha I think I was confusing it with Zorro. We don't see a lot of fun action movies anymore. The ones I can think of are all suffocating under the foot of 'spectacle'
Superheroes have totally absorbed them, I'd say. Witty banter, one liners and the odd butt kick - Stark Industries owns that now.
yuck. terrible films. I'm glad they're profitable, but the old assemble, define, fight, fake-win, tension/conflict, second fight, victory/reconciliation structure is to boring.
*Too boring for critical thinking adults.
Kids love it. Popcorn watchers love. It's probably not lost on anyone here, but there's a reason why the Fast and the Furious, Mission Impossible and all the rest keep cranking out sequels. Superhero movies are the same.
I mean, I keep seeing them lol. Show me my favorite childhood comic book story with all of the soup and nuts, please.
Control and Only Lovers Left Alive were good (as I remember, I want to rewatch Only Lovers Left Alive). Wolfwalkers was nice but no as good as the studio other movies imo. Wuthering Heights was ok, but I didn't like it covers only part of the story.
I'm surprised to see Shortbus on this list. Frankly it's one of those movies that I'm always surprised to see other people remembering it, not because it isn't memorable, but because it was such a strange niche film. The only reason I got to see it was because it came out at the peak of my piracy days - though I did purchase a physical version later.
It's interesting that the author describes it as feeling like a relic of a lost time, because I don't think it was ever truly a product of its time either. It was a product that came up naturally amongst people who were largely part of the Radical Faeries - gay hippies, essentially - and was therefore always outside of the norms of society. But I think that's something that makes it timeless. It may be a product of the time it was made, but it remains one of the most earnest and open explorations on what we need from our relationships ever to be put to film. And it has one of the best soundtracks to boot!
It's also really strange that Monkeybone is on this list. That movie was really terrible and was a rather famous flop for decades. Also, why put hamlet on the list and not it's sequel?
Obligatory comment about my favourite movie missing from the list.
Short Term 12 by Destin Daniel Cretton, starring Brie Larson as a young woman struggling with personal issues, working at a psychiatric facility for teens and forming a bond with one of them, played by Kaitlyn Dever. Also starring Stephanie Beatriz, Rami Malek, Lakeith Stanfield, John Gallagher.
Is that movie going to uplift or destroy me, emotionally, if I watch it? Based on the trailer, it seems like it could go either way. :/
Probably both at the same time, leaning towards destroying you, then staying on your mind for days after.
Knowing you.. brace yourself and watch carefully. I also don't want to exaggerate though it was very impactful for myself in any case.
Any list like this without Portrait of a Lady on Fire is disappointing. That movie could never be well enough received. It is just so good.